"You know about my background" said Venkat, with a sigh.
It happened ten years back.
Venkat was employed in a good company. He was leading a happy life with his wife and his one-year old daughter.
He happened to meet Ramani, his classmate in the college.
Ramani's father Sekar was a well-known industrialist. There was hardly anyone who had not heard about his firm 'Sekar Industries.'
Ramani told Venkat that he was planning to start a manufacturing unit.
"Why do you want to start a new business? You can look after your father's business" remarked Venkat.
"My father's business is very big. It is being managed by several senior executives. I won't have any freedom there. I will have to go by what the executives say. My father himself has left the task of running the business to the executives. He does only what they say. I told my father that I can't function in such an environment. When I expressed my desire to start a business of my own, my father accepted my decision and agreed to provide me the capital needed for starting the business. The business will be in my name and run by me under my control."
"Oh, it is good" said Venkat.
"But, I need a couple of good partners. Only then, the business can be run well. Already a friend of mine has agreed to be a partner. You may also join as a partner" said Ramani
"Leave me out of this. I have a fairly good job. I don't have money to invest. I can't even think of having my own business" said Venkat.
"Did I say that you should invest money? I want to run my business with the help of a few educated, intelligent and reliable people. Join me as a working partner. I will ensure that you will get an income that will be at least twice the salary you have been getting now. We will have an agreement about profit sharing. If you go through the project report, you will have an idea of how much profit we will get and what your share will be" said Ramani.
When Venkat studied the project report prepared for the proposed venture, it appeared to him that the venture would be profitable. He agreed to be a working partner in the business launched by Ramani.
"Is it wise to leave a good job and plunge into this venture?" asked Venkat's wife Gita.
"I have always wanted to be in business. But I didn't have the capital. Now, a good opportunity has come my way. I am not investing any money. There will be no risk in this" said Venkat.
But Venkat's hopes were belied very soon. Even from the beginning, the new business was facing problems..
In the beginning, Venkat was being paid a fixed sum every month on the stipulation that it would be adjusted from his share of profit. But after six months, the payments stopped.
When Venkat asked Ramani about this, Ramani told him that he had no money with him, that he had asked his father for money and that the amount due to him would be paid soon.
But even after three more months, Venkat didn't receive any payment. There was no improvement in the overall situation of the firm either.
Venkat quit his position as the working partner.
Fortunately, there were no conditions in the agreement stipulating that he should serve as the working partner for a minimum period.
After that, it took several months for Venkat to get a job. The financial problems and the mental agony faced by him during that period made him resolve that he would never again think of venturing into a business.
"What you did at that time was an immature act. It was a misadventure. When we take up a task, the time and circumstances should be favourable. At that point of time, neither you nor your friend Ramani had any experience. It was not the right time for either of you to start a business venture. Secondly, for performing any task, we need some tools. We should have adequate capital not only for investing at the beginning but also for meeting unexpected emergencies. We should have knowledge and experience in the field of our business. We should also have support for finance and marketing. Because Ramani's father was a businessman, you had assumed that Ramani possessed these tools. But it appears that except for getting the capital needed at the beginning, Ramani didn't get any other support from his father. The business we are going to start is entirely on a different footing. There will be four partners including you and me. Each of the partners has experience in a specific area. You and I have knowledge and experience in the technical aspects. Of the other two partners, one is well versed in finance and the other in marketing. We also have a marketing tie-up with a big company. To cap all these inherent strengths we have, our project is being financed by a venture capital fund. The people who manage the fund are experts in evaluating any new business venture. They have made a thorough study of our project and approved it, before deciding to give us the finance. Thus, we are entering into this venture at the right time, with powerful tools, We will definitely succeed in this venture" said Raghu.
"I will think about it" said Venkat.
Knowing One's Strength
kAlam aRindhu seyin.
No comments:
Post a Comment